Penn State professor promoted to editor-in-chief of Sleep Health journal
Orfeu Buxton, professor of biobehavioral health and Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) co-funded faculty member at Penn State, was recently named the next editor-in-chief for the journal of the National Sleep Foundation, Sleep Health.
Buxton was promoted after serving as an associate editor…
Summer 2019 Scholarly Communications Workshops offered by University Libraries
This summer, students, faculty and staff can participate in communications workshops that cover topics such as open access, copyright and fair-use policies.
The workshops, which take place through Aug. 13, are coordinated by Ana Enriquez, scholarly communications outreach librarian, and will take…
Researchers awarded for translating research into evidence-based policymaking
The Society for Prevention Research (SPR) recently recognized two Penn State researchers for their significant impacts in the field of prevention science, at its annual meeting in San Francisco.
Max Crowley, assistant professor of human development and family studies and director of the Social…
Course on addiction and recovery offered Fall 2019
An opportunity to obtain a Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS) certification, a Certified Family Recovery Specialist (CFRS) certification, or a better understanding of addiction and recovery, is available for Penn State students this fall. Curriculum & Instruction 497 is a 4-credit course that…
For many, friends and family, not doctors, serve as a gateway to opioid misuse
In a common narrative of the path to opioid misuse, people become addicted to painkillers after a doctor prescribed them pills to treat an injury and then, later, switch to harder drugs, such as heroin. However, nonmedical opioid users were more likely to say they began abusing opioids after…
Actress Lauren Holly featured in Battling Opioids podcast
Actress Lauren Holly grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the midst of the opioid epidemic and is now using her talent to shed light on the important issue. In season three of Designated Survivor, coming to Netflix June 7, Holly acts as a privileged, political figure who falls to opioid…
All of Us Journey tour to visit Hershey area
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute and Penn State Cancer Institute will host the National Institutes of Health's All of Us Journey, a traveling, hands-on informational exhibit to raise awareness about the All of Us Research Program - an ambitious effort to gather data from 1…
Studying implications of policy and law for treatment of substance use disorders
People who suffer from substance use disorder need effective treatments, however, 90 percent of those who need treatment do not receive it. One Penn State professor and his team are looking into the legal and financial barriers to treatment and how the law can be used to break down or build…
Seven key health measures may help predict future risk of heart disease
Seven key measures of heart health may help predict future risk of cardiovascular disease, according to researchers. They added that improving these measures also may help decrease the risk of CVD in the future.
The team of researchers, including three from Penn State, studied how seven key health…
Can trust in social media news be improved?
More than two-thirds of Americans get their news from social media sites, according to a 2018 Pew Research Center study. But more than half who read news on social media expect it to be inaccurate.
Penn State researchers are working to improve the prediction of people’s trust in what they read…
Jensen co-authors chapter in Gender, Agriculture and Agrarian Transformations
Leif Jensen, associate director of SSRI and distinguished professor of rural sociology and demography, co-authored a chapter in Gender, Agriculture and Agrarian Transformations edited by Carolyn Sachs, professor emerita of rural sociology. Jensen and other authors wrote the section titled 14…
Penn State researcher explores mental health and the LGBT community
With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, Penn State researcher and assistant professor Britney Wardecker stresses the importance of not only raising general awareness of mental health but also recognizing how different groups are affected by mental health issues in unique ways. …
Marching for climate change may sway people's beliefs and actions
Americans have a long tradition of taking to the streets to protest or to advocate for things they believe in. New research suggests that when it comes to climate change, these marches may indeed have a positive effect on the public.
A team including Penn State researchers found that people tended…
Collaboration brings 'Opioids: The Crisis Next Door' conference to Schuylkill
Penn State Schuylkill and Lehigh Valley Hospital - Schuylkill, part of the Lehigh Valley Health Network, are teaming up to present the 2019 Wellness Conference, titled "Opioids: The Crisis Next Door." The conference will address the facts about the disease of addiction, the signs of opioid abuse,…
Penn State participates in Social Science Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C.
Penn State researchers recently attended the Consortium of Social Science Association’s (COSSA) 2019 Social Science Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., taking part in a full schedule of events to bring awareness to social and behavioral sciences.
During the advocacy day, COSSA members met with…
Exercise may help teens sleep longer, more efficiently
Getting more exercise than normal — or being more sedentary than usual — for one day may be enough to affect sleep later that night, according to a new study led by Penn State.
In a one-week, micro-longitudinal study, the researchers found that when teenagers got more physical…
U.S. Births Fell To A 32-Year Low In 2018; CDC Says Birthrate Is In Record Slump
The U.S. birthrate fell again in 2018, to 3,788,235 births — representing a 2% drop from 2017. It's the lowest number of births in 32 years, according to a new federal report. The numbers also sank the U.S. fertility rate to a record low.
Not since 1986 has the U.S. seen so few babies born. And it'…
PROSPER conference convenes experts and youth to help prevent substance abuse
“We are now addressing a generation that could become addicted if they take a pill a few times. Prevention is critical,” said Steve Forzato, deputy chief of statewide drug initiatives for the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, to the audience assembled May 14 at the Ruth Pike Auditorium for…
Penn State, Monash University joint collaboration announces call for proposals
The partnership between Penn State and Monash University in Australia began just over a year ago, and yet it seems as if the two have been working together for much longer.
“It’s a great example of two universities with similar goals and energy figuring out ways to work together,” says Alexandra…
'A Conference on the Study of Lives through Time' to be held at Penn State
The Center for Life Course and Longitudinal Studies (C2LS) will host “It’s About Time: A Conference on the Study of Lives through Time,” on Wednesday-Thursday, May 29-30, at the Penn Stater Conference Center on the University Park campus.
All those who are interested are welcome to attend.…
Opioid-exposed newborns may react to pain differently after birth
Babies exposed to opioids while their mothers were pregnant with them may need special care even before they start to experience withdrawal symptoms, according to Penn State research.
Researchers from Penn State College of Medicine found that as soon as 24 and 48 hours after birth, babies who were…
$2.5M gift to create the Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research
Penn State Harrisburg has received a leadership gift of $2.5 million from the Douglas W. Pollock Foundation to establish the Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research on its campus. The center will address two areas of the substance abuse problem within the central Pennsylvania…
Why communicate social sciences?
Bringing attention to and communicating the social sciences effectively is just as important as the research and findings scientists work so diligently to uncover. This is the message Alan Leshner, CEO Emeritus of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), relayed to the…
Study: Friends, family are most common gateway to addiction, not doctors
By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The often-told story of the prescription for an opioid that launches the patient down the road to ruin is not the typical tale of heroin addiction, according to a new report by researchers from Penn State and other universities. More common, according to the…
Share Your Opioid Story: A Community Conversation at Schlow Library on May 30
The Share Your Opioid Story initiative is hosting a Community Conversation at the Schlow Centre Region Library in State College to tell the stories behind the statistics of the opioid crisis. This community event will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 30 in the Downsbrough Community Room. To…